by Leann Harris
A mischievous smile crossed Doc’s face. “That so?”
“Yup.”
“Your dad knew Tessa and I had divided up the calls after the storm,” the older man offered innocently. “Your folks were here right after Tessa arrived. Your mom fixed up the spare room for her. Besides, you knew I’d hired a new vet.”
Doc scored a point. “True. I remember you saying you hired a Dr. T. Grant who graduated from Purdue. No one mentioned the T stood for Tessa, not Tony or Terry, nor did you mention when Dr. Grant would get here.”
“Does it matter, Ethan?”
Ethan blushed. “No, but—”
Doc opened the door to the kitchen. “But what?”
“I wasn’t expecting a girl,” he sputtered, feeling supremely stupid.
“Catch up with the times, son. Tessa graduated in the top 10 percent of her class, and when I learned she grew up on a horse farm in Kentucky, I knew we’d be lucky to have her. I just prayed that she’d be willing to come out here. New Mexico is beautiful but in a different way from Kentucky. If this land doesn’t call to your heart, then you won’t be happy.”
Ethan grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured himself some coffee. What Doc said was true. If you didn’t feel easy with this rugged land, then you wouldn’t be happy, as evidenced by the vet who came for six months to sub for Doc when he went home to see his family. When Doc returned to the clinic, he asked the young vet if he wanted to stay and join Doc’s practice. He politely declined and went back to Wisconsin. Doc tried a couple of other times, but to no avail. If Tessa truly did settle in, Ethan knew it would be a load off Doc’s mind. But was Tessa really the right choice for their community?
“Put some bread in the toaster,” Doc ordered from his position by the stove. There were eggs in a skillet and bacon on a plate next to him.
Ethan knew this kitchen as well as he knew the kitchen at home. He’d spent many an hour in here with Doc talking. “Since you came from that part of the country, weren’t you worried about her coming?”
Doc served up the eggs. He made three plates and brought two of them to the table. After placing several strips of bacon on the third plate, he brought the rest to the table. “I gave it a fifty-fifty chance. Horse country in Kentucky is some of the most beautiful I’ve seen.”
“So why’d you come out to New Mexico?” Ethan asked. Up to this moment, it had never occurred to him to ask.
His eyes took on a faraway look. Ethan thought Doc might not answer him. Ethan had shared with this man the darkest secrets of his life, and Doc had not betrayed that confidence. But as Ethan thought about it, Doc had shared sparingly about his life before he came here.
Finally, Doc said, “I needed a new beginning.”
The answer shocked Ethan. He wanted to ask more, but looking at the older man, Ethan knew not to push.
Doc dug into his eggs. “This land has a beauty that I’ve come to love, and I hope Tessa will come to love it, too.”
As they quietly ate, Ethan’s mind filled with questions about Doc’s past.
“I was glad to have Tessa yesterday,” Doc said, picking up his coffee. “She proved herself with the storm, then with that rescue. Do you think I could’ve done better with that foal?”
Ethan thought about it. Could Doc have done better? “Hard to say. You might’ve been able to position that foal better.”
Doc nodded. “I know.”
“You know what?” Tessa asked from the doorway. Her voice rang clear and strong.
Ethan shoved the last of the eggs in his mouth. Let Doc handle that response.
She sniffed the air. “Is that coffee I smell?”
“Yup,” Doc answered. “And eggs and bacon.”
She quickly stepped into the room. Dressed in a pair of jeans, boots and a white long-sleeved shirt, she nearly knocked Ethan’s socks off. “Good,” she said, “because I wasn’t up for cooking anything this morning, but smelling the coffee and bacon, my stomach told me it’s time to eat.” After filling a mug, she threw a piece of bread in the toaster and brought her plate to the table. “So what do you know?” She looked from Doc to Ethan.
“Ethan was just saying you knew exactly what to do to care for those rescued horses yesterday. And you did a great job with the birth.”
Her fork stopped halfway to her mouth. Her gaze moved from Doc to Ethan. She placed the food in her mouth and nodded.
“Ethan says he thinks you did a nice job delivering the foal.”
Tessa turned to Ethan, surprise in her eyes. He saw what his faith in her meant and felt ashamed that he hadn’t actually said any of those things.
“It was a team effort.” Tessa buttered her toast. “We need to watch Hope’s leg. She wasn’t too sure standing on it last night. The strain of the birth might’ve damaged that ligament in her foreleg.”
Cupping his coffee in both hands, Ethan said, “I didn’t notice much of a limp when the foal started nursing this last time. I might’ve been a little sleepy, but things might already be working out.”
“Good.”
The phone rang. “The day begins,” Doc muttered as he stood and answered the phone. “Hello. Yes, Mary, we’ve done the initial evaluation of the horses. All of them made it through the night.” Doc looked from Tessa to Ethan. “You need the report that soon?” He frowned. “Okay. Drop by tonight and we’ll have the report. Also, I’ll have a list of where each of the horses will be housed.” After saying goodbye, he hung up.
“Mary wants a written report on the condition of each horse. She’ll print out the pictures she took so we can petition the judge for custody.” Doc sat down beside Tessa. “Have you written any reports for court fights?”
“Yes.”
“Good, because I’m all thumbs and can’t type worth spit. Can you have a report for Mary by five today?”
“Low man on the totem pole, huh?” A grin followed the question.
Doc threw his head back and laughed. Tessa smiled.
“You nailed it.”
As Ethan looked from one vet to another, he had the oddest feeling of hearing an echo. There was a similarity. He shrugged it off, telling himself he was just tired.
The sound of tires squealing to a stop followed by the slamming of car doors stopped the jocularity.
Instantly, Ethan and Doc were on their feet, heading for the door.
“Grab the cordless phone,” Ethan shot over his shoulder, his stomach tight, “and be prepared to call the sheriff.” Ethan followed Doc outside.
“What’s wrong?” Tessa asked.
“No rancher would’ve come to as reckless a stop in front of the animal hospital. It’s trouble.”
It turned out to be William Moore and his mother. William held a rifle and his mother looked as if she was spoiling for a fight.
He’d been right—they sure looked like trouble.
Chapter Three
Tessa didn’t wait for Ethan to tell her to call. She dialed 911 and told the dispatcher what the problem was while keeping an ear out for the conversation outside.
“Mornin’, Doris,” Doc called out, his voice congenial.
“It will be when I get my horses,” she snapped.
Doc walked toward her. “You’ll be happy to know all the horses made it through the night. It was tough going, though, getting your mare and her foal through those hours. We took turns hand-feeding them.”
Doris glared at him. “I didn’t need your help. My mare would’ve done just fine. It was all that commotion that your team stirred up that gave her trouble.”
Just how much in denial was this woman? It wasn’t unusual for people who neglected animals not to see what they’d done, but Doris brought it to a whole new level.
“William, go get the horses,” Doris commanded.
William�
��s eyes widened. “But Ma—”
“Don’t Ma me. Get the horses.”
Tessa scrambled outside into the parking lot. “If you move either of those horses, you might kill them.”
Doris’s attention focused on Tessa. “What are you talking about?”
“The mare might not make it back to your stable. And the foal, her leg was in the wrong position when she was born. She has a slight limp. If they’re left here, we can oversee their medical condition and help at this critical junction. It’s their best chance to survive and fully recover.”
For the first time, the hostility in Doris’s expression softened.
“She’s got a point, Ma.”
“Dr. Grant is right in her assessment, Doris,” the older veterinarian confirmed. “The best choice for your animals is to leave them here. Do you want to see how they’re doing?”
Doris put her hands on her hips and glared. “Of course.”
“Come in and see for yourself.” Doc motioned Doris into the breezeway.
Ethan stepped to William’s side. “Why don’t you put that rifle down before someone gets hurt?”
Relief swept across the young man’s face. “Ma thought we needed the show of strength.” He looked at his mother. She nodded and he put the rifle on the floor behind the seats in the cab.
William moved behind his mother with Ethan and Tessa trailing behind.
Doc walked down the breezeway to the barn. “This way, Doris.”
She shook her finger at Doc. “Okay, but I’m not giving up on getting my horses back.”
“I’d expect nothing less,” he answered.
Doris and William walked through the barn door.
“You handled that well,” Ethan whispered to Tessa.
“You’re surprised?”
“Nope.”
Tessa didn’t know how to take his answer. He didn’t wait for her but caught up with William. Tessa followed after, trying to decide how she felt about Ethan McClure.
The man seemed to be a bag of walking contradictions. He went from skepticism to approval. He questioned her qualifications yet took directions well from her last night, didn’t hesitate and did his turn nursing the horses without complaint. His skills were excellent, but that didn’t surprise her, his being a rancher. Had he changed his mind about her or would he at some point call her ability into question again?
She couldn’t get a good read on him and that made her jumpy.
Doris stopped and looked into the stall. Lady nibbled the feed, while her foal rested on a pile of clean hay in the corner of the stall.
“They’re looking fine to me,” Doris commented.
Tessa joined them by the stall door. She prayed for the right words. “That’s because we stayed with them all night. Lady’s had two IVs.” Doc must’ve removed the IV from the mare. “We can treat them medically. Since Dr. Adams and I are here, we can oversee any complications. We’ve got fluids, antibiotics and high-grade feed for them. That foal needs some TLC for her leg. No one is going to want a horse that can’t be ridden.”
Doris wavered.
“And you’ll have your time in court to argue for getting them back,” Ethan added. “It would be to your advantage to cooperate with us, Doris. I’ll be sure to tell the judge you did.”
The older woman’s eyes narrowed, but she nodded grudgingly. “All right, but you be sure to do that.”
“I will.”
They walked outside and discovered Sheriff Teague there.
“Everything okay out here?” Joe asked, getting out of his patrol unit.
Doris frowned, but she didn’t respond.
“Everything’s fine,” Doc Adams answered. He turned to Doris.
She didn’t comment, just glared at them, then climbed into the truck, slamming the passenger-side door. William got into the driver’s seat and they sped off, leaving a cloud of dust.
As Tessa watched the truck disappear, she knew deep in her gut this wasn’t going to be the last time she’d have a run-in with Doris and her son. She just hoped that Doc—and Ethan—would be there to calm things down when trouble came knocking again.
* * *
Tessa sat in the clinic office the next day, staring at the report she’d just finished. She clicked the print button. Too many times she’d had to write similar reports. Doc had called Mary back and told her the report would take another day, due to the increased workload at the clinic that had them scrambling. Tessa could easily see why Doc Adams needed another vet to help.
Standing, she walked to the printer. Each time she participated in a rescue and saw how people neglected their horses, her heart broke. But God had given her this eternal hope that no matter how bleak, He could shine a light into any darkness, as witnessed by Hope’s birth.
She heard a car engine outside, then car doors slam.
As she gathered the pages from the printer, she heard the screen door creak open. She strode out of the office into the waiting area. Looking through the window, she saw a horse trailer.
Unease crept up her spine. Doc had left for one of the ranches north of the clinic about forty-five minutes ago.
Scout, the clinic’s dog, started barking, followed by the sound of another distressed whinny. Tessa raced into the barn. William and another man stood by Lady and Hope’s stall.
“What are you doing?” Tessa demanded in her best command voice.
The men whirled. “Who are you?” the stranger asked.
“I’m Dr. Grant, one of the vets here.”
The man’s mouth curved into an oh-you’re-a-girl-and-I-can-charm-you smile. “You’re too cute and young to be a vet. Why, you can’t be more than sixteen.”
His grating attitude left her cold.
William jumped in. “No, she’s the vet who delivered the foal. I saw it with my own eyes.”
The other man’s brow rose. “Ah, beautiful and skilled.”
She wasn’t buying his line. “What are you doing here, William? I thought we’d resolved this issue yesterday with you and your mother.”
“Aw, don’t call Willy that. He’s a good ol’ boy and not the stuffed shirt his old man was,” the stranger interrupted.
Tessa stepped past Mr. Charm into the stall. “What are you doing, William?” she asked again. William glanced over her shoulder at the stranger.
“Willy wanted me to see my investment,” the man offered, his voice coming from behind her.
Tessa turned to face the stranger. She stood by William’s side. “I’m sure William told you that you’ll have to take that up with the court.”
He shrugged and took a menacing step toward her. “I’ve already paid for the foal.”
William shifted his weight from one foot to another. Tessa noticed the panicked look on his face. She squared her shoulders and put authority into her words. “I’m sure the court will take that into account.”
The stranger’s fake smile melted and his eyes went cold. “Why bother the courts?”
Tessa understood perfectly that the stranger was trying to intimidate her. She opened her mouth to respond, but another voice cut in.
“Because, Kevin, the sheriff’s already seized the animals. And if you’re trying to take the foal, you’ll be breaking the law, subject to arrest and then they’ll have an access into all sorts of information about you.”
The man whirled to face Ethan. Tessa had never seen a better sight than the tall rancher. She breathed a prayer of thanks.
“Ah, Ethan McClure, the hero of Cibola High School’s football team, coming to the little lady’s rescue,” the stranger sneered.
Tessa’s eyes narrowed, ready to correct the situation, but Ethan spoke first.
“If you’ve got a bone to pick, take it up with the judge. But be warned, Kevin
, you need to bring your lawyer, because Mary will be there representing the rescue group, pressing our case.”
“Mary Jensen? You mean the little lady who left you standing at the altar? That Mary Jensen?” Kevin ended his taunt with a satisfied grin.
The comment rocked Tessa back on her heels. Ethan didn’t flinch, but Tessa noticed his hand clenched as if he was holding back his anger. “My history doesn’t change the facts. You’re not taking that foal anywhere.”
Kevin’s smirk turned into a glare. “We’ll see about that.” He looked at William and nodded to him to leave. As Kevin walked by Ethan, he stopped. “You’re not quite as righteous as folks think, hey, buddy? I know our hero has feet of clay.”
Ethan didn’t respond, but held his ground.
Kevin laughed. “I’ll see ya.” He winked at Tessa and walked out of the stables.
The tension holding her upright eased, and she took a deep breath. The shock of Kevin’s words still reverberated through her. Mary and Ethan had been engaged?
“You okay?” Ethan asked, coming to her side.
She gave a shaky laugh. “Yeah, but William’s determination to get Hope just seems—oh, I don’t know—so intense...desperate.” She thought about the things that Kevin threw at Ethan. What was going on? It was none of her business, she reminded herself. She had to stay focused on the horse.
“That bothers me, too.” Ethan rubbed the back of his neck. “There’s something there that doesn’t seem right. It’s like when my sister decided to wear one of my belts and put it back in the closet in my room, but she put it in the wrong place. It took me a day to understand what was bothering me.”
Tessa’s eyes went wide with surprise. “Are you kidding me?”
“No, I think William’s up to something.”
“I wasn’t talking about that. You knew when your sister borrowed your belt?” Kevin had thrown some pretty heavy accusations at Ethan and he was talking about his sister wearing his belt?
His eyes cut to hers, and his mouth twitched, disarming the tension. “She was bad about borrowing things. I’d walk into the kitchen and find her wearing one of my shirts or sweatshirts or belts. Or my brother’s stuff.” The way his brows knitted into a frown made her want to laugh.